Stickell is Ethan Hunt's close confidant. He is the only character besides Cruise's Hunt to appear in all four "Mission: Impossible" films. In the last movie, he was not involved in Hunt's mission. They only met after the mission was accomplished and he parted ways with the spy agent with a "See you in Kandahar" farewell.

The fifth film is scheduled for December 25, 2015. Rebecca Ferguson (II) is tapped as the new leading lady, while Alec Baldwin is reportedly in talks to play as the head of the CIA.